Steering and propelling mechanism for vessels.



E. STUGKEMANN.

STEERING AND PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR VBSSBLS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.1G,1913,

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

i 75.1 m k v m w h" m LIE MAX/X441 1/ ERNST s'rooKEMaNn, or BERLIN, GERMANY.

STEERING AND PROPELLING MECHANISM FOR VESSELS.

amet.

a vertical axis in order to effect the reversal of the vessels movement is usually brought vabouttby means of toothed spur or chain and sprocket gear. In propelling devices for vessels in which the motor and the screw propeller, are adapted to be easily attached to and removed from the vessel, the provision of a reversing gear of this kind results in considerably increasing the weight and consequently also the cost of the motor,

and it is for this reason that it has been proposed to employ motors which are themselves reversible. In such cases however it has been necessary first to stop the motor, then to reverse the ignition and finally again to start the motor in the opposite direction, a somewhat complicated procedure, which takes up too much time to be satisfactory in practice.

Now in accordance with the present invention the reversal of the direction of movement of the vessel is effected by mounting the propeller in a casing so arranged that it can be fixed or freely moved about the axis of the vertical driving shaft carrying the bevel gear by meansof which the motion of the motor is transmitted to the propeller, the arrangement being such that the propeller and the casing can eitherrotate about the vertical axis on account of the torque exerted by the propeller ,without exerting any propelling action on the vessel or that, when moved into the position in which the casing is arrested and held, the vessel can be driven .ahead, athwartship. or astern, as will hereinafter be more fully described. To enable the casing to be held in any desired position there is attached to it a. vertical tube which surrounds the vertical driving shaft and the top of which terminates in a flange, provided on its upper and'its lower side with a pair of stops arranged at 180. apart and embraced by a fork which is attached to the Specification of Letters Pate t. r

Patented Mar. 9, 12115.

Application filed August 16, 1913. Serial No. 785,060.

end of a tiller rotatable about its own longitudinal axis and also about the axis of the vertical driving shaft. According as the tiller has imparted to it a right-handed or a left-handed rotation about its own axis, so as to rock the fork in one or the other direction, one or the other of the two stops will come in contact with it and by this means will arrest the rotating'cas'ing. l/Vhen the fork occupies its normal central or vertical position both stops can pass easily through it. I

The accompanying drawings illustrate apparatus in accordance with this invention.

Figure 1 shows in sectional side elevation the construction of the steering mechanism,-

iFigs. 2, 2 and 2 diagrammatically illustrate the different positions of the fork relatively to the stop, and Fig.3 is a plan of the fork and the steering flange.

The construction shown in the drawings comprises a horizontal motor 1 with a ver-- tical driving shaft 2, which is secured to the stern of the vessel together with the steering and driving mechanism by means of the clamp a and the suspension block or hearing gages with the bevel wheel cl on the propeller shaft d is mounted on the lower end of the driving shaft 2. The casing e is rigidlv connected with a tubular shaft f rotatably mounted in the tubular steering shaft 9 and provided at its upper end with a flange h whereon there are mounted two contact studs 71 and 3''. The sleeve k of the flange serves also as a bearing cooperating with the widened upper edge of the tubular shaft 9. which is rptatably mounted in the suspension block a' and terminates at its upper end in a housing 70 in the lateral tubular extension is of which the tiller Z is rotatably mounted.

At itsinner end the tiller Z is provided with a fork m, the aperture of which is of such size as to permit of the free passage of the flange it together with the contact studs 21 and i when the tiller is in its central position; henthe tiller is adjusted to its normale'entral position and the motor is started, the casing e together with the shaft f and the flange 72. will, owing to the reaction of the water, continuously rotate about its vertical axis so that the vessel will remain stationary notwithstanding the working of the motor.

It is obvious that when casing e is released 110 a The driving bevel wheel c,which en-- while beveled gear wheel 0 is continuously rotated in one direction, Wheel (l will roll on wheel 0 on account of the fluid reacting on the blades that revolve about the horizontal propeller-axis. This circling of casing e and propeller 3 about shaft 1) continues until the casing e is arrested whereupon wheel (Z and propeller 3 willrotate about their horizontal axis only, shaft cl remaining relatively to the longitudinal axis of the vessel, at the precise' position at which its revolution about shaft 6 has been stopped by the arrest of the casing. Thus by imparting tothe tiller Z a slight right-handed rotation aboutits longitudinal axis, the passage for the contact stud z' is closed and the rotation of the casing 6 arrested. The contact'stud z is so located, that when the tiller Z is rotated to the right around its longitudinal axis and the stud 2' comes to bear against the head of the fork 'm, the casing e and the propeller shaft will lie in the direction of the length of the vessel, which will thus be caused to move ahead. The position of the contact stud i is such that when the tiller 1 is rotated slightly to the left about its longitudinal axis the casing is arrested with the propeller in the position indicated by broken lines whereupon the vessel is caused to move astern. As on account of the torque the contact studs will be constantly, pressed against the fogk m of the tiller Z, as long as a right or left-handedrotation is imparted thereto, it is obvious that thepropeller must participate in each oscillatory movement of the tiller Z in the horizontal plane, notwithstanding that the fork m is not positively connected to the flange h.

To enable the vessel to be steered even when the motor is stoppedthere'is provided on the tubular shaft 9 a, rudder blade a.

What I claim is 1. A device of the character described comprising a vertically disposed driving shaft, a tubular shaft rotatably surrounding the same, a casing fast on the tubular shaft, a propeller journaled in the casing and inter'geared with the driving shaft, said propeller being adapted to impart a rotary movement to the casing and to the tubular -shaft, means for checking said rotary movement, an additional tubular shaft surrounding the first named tubular shaft, and a rudder carried by said additional shaft.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a vertically disposed driving shaft, an inner tubular shaft rotatably surrounding the same, a casing fast on the lower end of the inner tubular shaft, a. propeller journaled in the casing and intergeared with the driving shaft, a first coupling member on the upper end of the inner tubular shaft, an outer tubular shaft encompassing the inner tubular shaft, a rud- 6.5 der carried by the outer tubular shaft, a

on said driving and propeller shafts, a'

casing wherein said propeller shaft is journaled, a tubular shaft secured to said casing, arranged concentrically with said vertical driving shaft and rotatable relatively thereto, a disk secured to the upper end of said hollow shaft, stops provided on the upper and on the lower side of said disk diametrically opposite to each other, a tiller adapted to be rotated about its own axis, and also about the axis of said driving and tubular shafts, said tiller being provided with a fork adapted by the rotation of the tiller about its axis to be brought into engagement with one or otherof said stops.

p 4. In a propelling and steering device for vessels, a motor, a vertically disposed driving shaft rotatable by said motor, a horizontally disposed propelle'r shaft, a propeller secured thereon, 'intermeshing gear wheels on said driving and propeller shafts, a casing wherein said propeller shaft is journaled, a tubular shaft secured to said casing, arranged concentrically with said vertical driving shaft and rotatable relatively thereto, a disk secured to the upper end of said hollow shaft, stops provided on\the upper and on the lower side of said disk diametrically opposite to each other, a tiller adapted to be rotated about its own axis, and also about the axis of said driving and tubular shafts, said tiller being provided with a fork adapted by the rotation of the tiller about its axis to be brought into engagement with one or other of said stops, a suspension block whereon said propelling and steering device is suspended, and a clamping device carried by said suspension block whereby said block can be clamped to a vessel to be propelled and steered.

5, In a propelling and steering device for vessels, a motor, a vertically disposed driving shaft rotatable by said motor, a hOI'lZOIltally disposed propeller shaft, a propeller secured thereon, intermeshing gear wheels on said driving and propeller shafts, a casing wherein said propeller shaft is ournaled, a tubular shaft secured to said casing, arranged concentrically with said vertical driving shaft androt'atable relatively thereto, a rudder plate secured to said tubular shaft, a disk secured to the upper end of said hollow shaft, stops provided on the upper and on the lower side of said disk diametrically opposite to each other, a tiller adaptedto be rotated about its own axis, andalso about the axis of said drivmg and iaaraav tubular shafts, said tiller being provided with a fork adapted by the rotation of the tiller about its axis to be brought into engagement with one or other of said stops,

6. In a device of the character described, a driving shaft adapted to be supported by a vessel and mounted in a substantially vertical position, a propeller shaft intergeared with the driving shaft and extending at an angle thereto, a propeller on the propeller shaft, said propeller causing the propeller shaft to be rotated about the driving shaft, and means for automatically checking said rotary movement of the propeller shaft about the driving shaft upon its arrival in a position that extends in substantial paral-' lelism with the longitudinal axis of the vessel. L

'7. In a device of the character described, a driving shaft adapted to be supported by a vessel and mounted in a substantially vertical position, a propeller shaft intergeared' with the driving shaft and extending at an angle thereto, a propeller on the propeller shaft, said propeller tending to continuously rotate the propeller shaft about the driving shaft, and means for releasing the propeller shaft and for subsequently automatically checking the rotary movement thereof about tl18,dI'1V1l1g shaft upon the arrival of the propeller shaft in a position extending in substantial parallelism with the axis of the vessel.

8. In a device of the character described, a propeller, a shaft carrying the same, nor mally locked means for supporting the propeller-shaft, and means for rotating said shaft together With-the propeller, a release of the propeller-shaft-supporting means causing sald last named-means to be reversed W th respect to the longitudinal axis of the vessel, owing to the resistance offered by thewater to the propeller and to be relocked after such reversal.

9. Ina device of the character described, a propeller, a shaft carrying the same, pivoted means for supporting the propeller- :shaft, means for rotating said shaft together with the propeller, whereby said propeller tends to continuously rotate the shaft-supporting means on its pivot, and means for releasing the propeller-shaft-supporting means and for subsequently automatically checking the rotary movement of said supporting means upon a rotation of said last named means through an angle of 180 degrees.

10. A device of the character described comprising" a vertically disposed driving shaft, a tubular shaft rotatably surroundinggthe same, a normally locked casing fast on the tubular shaft, a propeller journaled in the casing and intergeared With the driving shaft, said propeller being adapted to im art a rotary movement to the casing an to the tubular shaft, upon a release of the casing, and means for automatically arresting said rotary movement of the casing and tubular shaft after having performed a rotation through an angle of 180 degrees after such release.

11. In a device of the character described, a driving shaft, adapted to be supported by 'a vessel, said driving shaft extending ina substantially vertical direction, a propeller,

a substantially upright driving shaft adapt- 7 ed to be supported by a vessel, a casing freely rotatable around said driving shaft, a propeller journaled in said casing and operable by the driving shaft, said propeller tending to continuously circle about the driving shaft thereby efi'ecting a stoppage of the vessel, and stops for the casing adapted to check the circling motion of the propeller for effecting either a forward movement or a backward movement of the 'vessel.v

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNST STOCKEMANN. Witnesses:

HENRY I-IASPER,

ARTHUR SCHROEDER. 

